Means for interconnecting adjacent wall sections



March 30, 1965 A. BREKELI. ETAL 3,175,652

MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING ADJACENT WALL SECTIONS med Deo. 1s, 1961 mlllll United States Patent() 3,175,652 MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING ADJACEN'I WALL SECTIONS Arne Brekell, Boras, and Bengt Skoglund, Stockholm,

Sweden, assignors to Aktiebolaget Svenska Flktfabriken, Stockholm, Sweden Filed Dec. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 159,132 Claims priority, applilcatiol/geden, Dec. 14, 1960,

7 1 Claim. (Cl. 189-36) This invention relates to means for interconnecting adjacent wall sections having facing U-shaped edges to provide for expansion therebetween and has for an object the provision of improvements in this art.

Standardized, factory-made wall sections of this kind are now in common use in industry for the construction of ovens and drying chambers, and for enclosing various machines in order to reduce initial capital expenditure and simplify erection work. Walls constructed in this way are very light and can be adapted easily and inexpensively to meet stringent requirements of good thermal in- `sulation. The joining of the sections, however, has proved to be a problem that is difficult to solve, especially for the walls of drying chambers, where the damp atmosphere inside the chamber necessitates airtight joints, and where the walls are subjected to great expansive forces due to the high temperatures most frequently prevailing in the chamber. Joining methods and arrangements used hitherto for these applications have proved not to fulfill stipulated conditions in the respects mentioned, or they have been too complicated and time-consuming to find a general use.

The invention, the object of which is to eliminate said difficulties and provide a simple, rapid and efficient joining of such wall sections, is characterized in that two rails are inserted into the channel-like cavity which is formed between the edge flanges of the sections, said rails extending along and covering the joints and being adopted to be moved away from each other by means of a number of separating elements in a direction at right angles to the plane of the wall and thereby caused to tighteningly press against the respective edge flanges.

The invention also includes a suitable arrangement for carrying out the method. The fundamental and characteristic feature of this arrangement is that the separating elements are made up of a number of screw bolts,` and that one of the rails is provided with a corresponding number of threaded holes or with nuts attached to the rail and designed to engage said screw bolts, which by turning are caused to press their free end against the opposite rail and thereby force the two rails apart, so that they press against the edge flanges of the sections.

According to a suitable embodiment of the arrangement the rails are manufactured of resilient material, e.g. sheet steel formed as a channel-shaped beam with slightly diverging anges in order to allow for any expansion caused by thermal changes and thereby maintain the intended sealing action.

In order to facilitate the joining, it is advantageous that the rails, together with pertaining screw bolts and insulation, are delivered to the side as finished units. To permit this and to keep the ralis together the free ends of the bolts are provided with a stud which can be inserted in holes in the opposite rail and on the outside of the rail can be given an upset head or be provided with another looking means to keep the rail in position.

The design of the separating elements can be varied in several ways within the scope of the invention. For example the bolts could be fitted between the two rails with their heads pressing against one rail and with their opposite ends screwed into nuts attached to this rail,

3,175,652 Patented Mar. 30, 1965 the threaded end being provided with a slot or flats for a key by means of which the bolt could be turned. With this design also the rails could be held together as one unit if the screw bolts are maintained in position by means of springs which clasp one rail in a firm or sliding grip.

In order to ensure that the joints are completely airtight on assembly, at least one of the rails should be fitted with a sealing packing on the outside, preferably of heat-resisting material.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a detail of two wall sections joined according to the invention, and where FIG. 1 shows the wall sections joined by means of rails and separating elements in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 2 shows a similar joint with assembly elements according to a second embodiment.

In the drawing 1 and 2 designate two similar wall sections made up of inner and outer panels, 3 and 4 respectively, attached to a frame 5 of channel iron having outwardly directed flanges 5a and 5b engaging the flange portions 3a and 4a of the panels (forming composite flanges) and with insulation material 6 between the panels. Two sheet steel rails, 7 and 8, having flared facing flanges are inserted into the channel-like cavity which is formed between composite flanges having return bend U-shaped parallel edges la and 1b and 2a and 2b, of the two sections. The rails can be forced apart by means of a number of separating elements, in the present instance screw bolts 9, in a direction at right angles to the plane of the wall and thereby caused to tighteningly press against the respective edge flanges.

In order to make the joint completely air-tight, one railin the case shown rail 7-is provided with a sealing packing 10 of heat-resisting material. 11 designates insulation material inserted between rails 7 and 8. In the embodiment shown in FIG. l the screw bolt 9 engages a nut 12 welded to the rail 8, and the bolt is turned by its head 9a, accessible through the open joint towards the outside. The other end of the bolt presses against rail 7 which is provided with a guiding slot 13 or a number of recesses. ln order to keep the rails together the screw bolt 9 is fitted with a stud 14 which can be inserted through a hole in rail 7 and given an upset head on the outside. 15 designates a washer fitted under the upset head.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the screw bolts 9 are placed in the opposite direction. Here the bolt is screwed into a clip 16, which functions as a nut and is welded on to the rail 8', and the bolt head 9a' presses against the rail 7. In order to permit the bolt to be turned its free end is provided with a slot 17 accessible through a hole 18 in the rail 8'. In this case the bolt is guided by a spring clip 19 which grips the flanges of the rail 7'. The design of the screw bolts and guiding elements can be varied in several ways within the scope of the invention, and the figures illustrate only some exemplifying embodiments.

What we claim is:

Means for interconnecting adjacent wall sections, each of said wall sections having inner and outer panels and facing flanges terminating in return bend U-shaped parallel edges, a channel frame positioned in each of said wall sections and having outwardly directed flanges cngaged within the flanges of said wall section, said channel flanges gripped at their terminal ends by said U-shaped edges thereby forming composite flanges on each of said panels, said means comprising spaced bendable channel shaped resilient rails having flared facing flanges engagwww ing the web of said channel frames, and the webs of said rails engaging coplanar adjacent composite flanges of the two adjacent wall sections, and a plurality of spaced separating elements arranged along the length of said rails for forcing said rails apart in their mid width so as to press them outwardly against the composite ilangcs of the two adjacent wall sections, each of said separating elements being formed as a rod-like member turnably und non-slidably, retainably connected to one of said rails and screw-threadedly retained by the other of said rails, thc rodlike member having one end exposed beyond one of said rails in a position to be engaged and turned by a tool from the outside.

4 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/16 Clasen 189--34 X 7/57 Bergman 189-36 9/57 Dennison 189-34 5/59 Keller 189-36 4/60 Keller 189-36 8/61 Gebhard 189-36 10 RICHARD W. COOKE, IR., Primary Examiner.

JOEL REZNEK, JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiners. 

